Insulator



M. J. FOSS INSULATOR Sept. 23 1924.

Filed Feb. 2, 1922 Patented Sept. 23, 1924.

UNITED STATES MARVIN'J. FOSS, OF FARIBAULT, MINNESOTA.

INSULATOR.

Application filed February 2, 1922. Serial No. 533,619.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARVIN J. Foss, citizen of the United States, residing at Faribault, in the county of Rice and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Insulators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an in'ipi-oved insulator and seeks, as one of its principal objects, to provide a device of this character adapted to support an electrical conductor without the use of a tie wire.

A further object of the invention is to provide an insulator. adapted to grip the conductor and wherein the conductor will be limited against accidental disengagement from the insulator.

And the invention has as a still further object to providean insulator employing a cap for protecting the conductor at the insulator.

Other and incidental objects will appear hereinafter.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through my improved insulator, the cap being removed,

Figure 2 is a plan View of the device,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows and showing the cap in place, and

Figure 4 is a side elevation showing the use of the insulator without the cap.

In carrying the invention into effect, I employ an insulator body of porcelain or other approved insulating material, flared toward its lower end to provide a depending annular skirt 11 and formed axially of the body within said skirt is a boss 12 terminating flush with the skirt. Extending through this boss is a threaded bore 13 to accommodate the pin of a cross arm. Formed through the upper end portion of the body is a transverse zig-zag slot 14 opening through the upper end of the body as well as the op posite sides thereof. As will. be observed upon reference to Figure 4, the slot is tapered or gradually widened toward the mouth thereof and, as brought out in Figure 2, the side walls of the slot are formed to provide a plurality of staggered V-shaped gripping ribs 15 and companion-V-shaped indentations 16, eachof the indentations being opposite one of the ribs respectively. The ribs thus provide vertical biting edges 17 In conjunction with the body 10, 1 e111- ploy a substantially frusto conical cap 18 of porcelain or other approved insulating material, which is formed to snugly fit the up per end of the insulator body and is provided with a diametric Zig-zag retaining web or rib 19 terminating flush with the lower end edge of the cap and shaped to snugly fit in the slot 14;. Formed throu h the body 10 near its upper end, are alined medially disposed openings 20 and removably fitting through the wall of the cap and through said openings is a cotter pin or other fastening device 21, looking the cap upon the insulator body. I

In use, an electrical conductor, as conventionally illustrated in Figure 3 at 22, is engaged in the slot 14 of the insulator body and pressed downwardly therein over the gripping ribs 15. Accordingly, as the conductor approaches the lower end of the slot the biting edges 17 will flex said conductor until, when the conductor reaches the lower end of the slot, the portion of the conductor extending through the slot will be caused to assume the zigzag formation of the slot, the edges 17 of said ribs biting into the conductor for securely holding the conductor against longitudinal pull. Furthermore, the weight of the conductor will tend to constantly wedge the conductor in engagement with the ribs. After the conductor is thus in place, the cap 18 is applied and the pin 21 fitted through. the cap for locking the cap against displacement. lVhen the cap is thus applied, the rib 19 will be ad vanced into the slot 1 1 to engage the con ductor at its upper side so that said rib will wedge the conductor to the lower end of the slot firmly held by the gripping ribs and, of course, since the cap is locked against accidental displacement, the cap will, in turn, serve to lock the conductor engaged with the insulator. Should any difiiculty be experienced in forcing the conductor to the ower end of the slot, the cap may, elm the conductor has been arranged in the up per end of the slot, be positioned over the insulator body to engage the rib 19 with the conductor. Then by pounding upon the cap with a rubber mallet or the like, the conductor may be readily driven into place. As will be perceived, the cap Will close the insulator body at its upper end While the rib 19 Will substantially close the slot 14; of the body. Rain, snow, or other foreign matter Will thus be excluded from the slot While the portion of the conductor lying Within the slot Wlll be effectually protected from the elements.

in some instances it may be tound en pedient to use the insulator body without the cap 18 and, in Figure 4,, I have shown the insulator body so employed Under such circumstances the pin 21 is after the condue-tor has been engaged in the slot of the body fitted through the openings 20 in the body for looking the conductor against :iocidentel displacement.

Having thus described the inventioin what is claimed as new is:

1. In an insulator, the combination of (L body having a zig-zeg wire receiving slot therein and a cap for the body having a ig-sag rib fitting in said slot for limiting a Wire against displeeen'ient from the slot.

2. In an insulator, the conii binzition of :1 body having it Zing-mg wire receivingslot therein, a cap for the body huvin I e Zig mg rib fitting in said slot for lii'i'iiting A Wire against displacement from the slot, and a pin extending through the rib and cap across said slot securing the cap in position.

in testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

liililtvlh J. FOSS. [n s] 

